There used to be a time when retired US politicians with decades of service were still respected in retirement. Granted, this was before Gingrich's hyperpoliticizing of every bit of minutiae in America.

Then Fred Thompson, not satisfied with his $250K an hour lobbying gig or his acting career, decided he also needed to start hawking reverse mortgages to the elderly, and that was a wrap. Before people were willing to look past the lobbying... stopped being a thing after ole Fred was caught on TV and radio right next to the gold bouillon sellers.